P3 A Test of Courage
by Lady Sinistra 23
Summary: There are many frightful things in this world. Murderers, stalkers,and Shadows, oh my! But perhaps one of the most paralyzing experiences of all is confronting your true feelings. In a world and time where there is so much to fear, will the members of SEES be able to find their courage to face these challenges? Pairings: Minato/Mitsuru, Minako/Akihiko
1. The Game is Afoot

A/N: I have returned with my second fan fiction! Sorry it took so long, but it took a lot of planning and well… Life got in the way so my writing was really sporadic. Anyway, this is another Minato/Mitsuru and Minako/Akihiko story because there needs to be more stories about Minato and Mitsuru, and well… there can never be too much Minako/Akihiko! Also, this takes place in November so be prepared for spoilers. Now, enough with my rambling; please enjoy the story!

P3: A Test of Courage Ch.1: The Game is Afoot

* * *

"Akihiko-senpai, look out!" yelled Fuuka.

"Ugh!" Akihiko groaned as he was blown into a nearby wall by a Garudyne spell.

"Akihiko-senpai!" Minako gasped, "Yukari, help him!"

"Right!" Yukari's Evoker flew to her temple as she summoned Isis to heal the wounded boxer.

"Ugh… Thanks…" Akihiko grunted as he stood up, momentarily resting against the wall for support.

"Just stand back Senpai and leave it to the hero!" Junpei yelled, swinging his katana into the shadow.

"Get back, Stupei! You just saw it use a wind skill!" Yukari hollered indignantly.

"Huh…?" Junpei said foolishly, as the samurai reminiscent Shadow unleashed yet another immensely powered Garudyne, knocking the capped teen down, his body experiencing excruciating pain.

"Junpei-kun's down, someone help him!" Fuuka shouted, panicked by the action before her.

"Nrgh…" Junpei grunted as he tried to regain his senses. His vision was slightly blurred, but he managed to make out the silhouette of the Shadow which was coming right at him. The capped teen's eyes widened, as his hand frantically searched the ground for his Evoker.

"Kartikeya! Primal force!"

"Huh?" Junpei muttered, as a man riding on a colossal peacock flew overhead and shot an arrow of light straight through the monstrosity, its blinding light piercing his haze.

"You alright?" The capped teen turned around and saw SEES's male leader holding his hand out to him.

He gratefully took it as he got back on his feet, "Yeah, thanks for the help, Minato…"

"Don't thank me just yet… We still have company…"

Three more of the same Shadows appeared, poised and ready for battle.

"Man, they just don't know when to quit," Junpei groaned.

"You're surprised?" Minato said dryly.

"Swift Strike!" Aigis called out, summoning Palladion to fire bullets at the Shadows. However, a translucent mirror appeared in front of them, reflecting the bullets right back at the android.

"Aigis, hang in there!" Yukari said as she ran up and used a healing spell on her.

"Strike attacks are ineffective…" Aigis reported as she recovered.

"Yeah... Too bad we had to find out the hard way," Yukari groaned. "Look out!"

Yukari and Aigis dodged as one the Shadows dashed to attack them with its long katana.

"Whoa!" Minako exclaimed, narrowly dodging another Garudyne, "Fuuka, please tell me you've got a scan on these things!"

"Just a second…" Fuuka said, trying to concentrate harder, "Ice! They're weak to Ice!"

"Ice, huh?" Minako muttered, a devious smile growing on her face, "I can do _that_! I summon you, Black Fro-!"

"Artemisia!"

Before Minako could summon her dark jester, the shadows were already screeching in pain at the Mabufula that froze them. The shadows dissolved into nothingness, leaving only sheets of ice behind.

"-Frost..." Minako finished dejectedly.

Yukari breathed a sigh of relief, "That was a close one… Great timing, Mitsuru-senpai!"

"Is everyone alright?" the redhead asked, looking the battered teens over.

"I think so…" Yukari said.

"A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing I can't handle," Akihiko said assuredly.

Minato nodded, "Yeah, we're alright."

"I'm not! Look! That damn Shadow scratched up my favorite hat! Ohhh, my poor baby!" Junpei lamented, cradling his cap.

"What is wrong with Junpei-san?" Aigis asked, tilting her head.

Yukari rolled her eyes, "Nothing, Aigis… He just suffers from ADQS: Acute Drama Queen Syndrome."

"'Acute Drama Queen Syndrome'? I am unfamiliar with this term."

Minato chuckled, "Don't worry about it, Aigis. She was just joking."

"Who's joking? I'm dead serious, Minato-kun," Yukari nodded solemnly.

Minato rolled his eyes with a smile, "Anyway, do you sense any more Shadows Fuuka?"

"Hmm… No, I think we defeated them all. Good job, everyone! We should head back to the hotel now before the Dark Hour ends," Fuuka suggested.

"Fair enough. I wouldn't want to be caught by Toriumi-sensei and have to miss the rest of the field trip," Minako agreed.

Minato nodded and started walking, "Then let's head back."

As Minato led the way back, he had to resist the urge to sigh. Playing Shadow Buster wasn't the way he expected to spend his school field trip in Kyoto, but apparently evil never takes a vacation. It's a shame, since things were finally starting to look up since the whole incident with Ikutsuki. Mitsuru-senpai was back to her old self; actually she was even better. Not to mention the field trip had been helping to bring up everyone's morale. Yet as always, the Dark Hour had a way of crushing that morale into a fine powder. A few hours ago they were all in this same bustling shopping district, acting like the clueless tourists they were, and now the streets are dark and desolate, save for the stoic coffins. Even after all this time, the Dark Hour never failed to make a chill crawl up his spine and make his hair stand on end. And evidently, he wasn't the only one…

"Man… I actually used to live here, but the Dark Hour makes it seem completely different… In a creepy sort of way… Everything looks so dead…" Yukari commented, looking around anxiously.

"Well then… WHY DON'T YOU JOIN THEM?! Mwahahahahaha!" Junpei bellowed wickedly, a flashlight held beneath his face.

"AHH!" Yukari screamed, as she jumped two feet in the air.

"Ahaha! That was awesome, Yuka-tan!" Junpei laughed loudly, holding his stomach.

Yukari growled lowly before yelling at the capped teen, "Dammit, Stupei! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Minato had to hold in another sigh; Junpei was up to his old tricks again…

Junpei continued to laugh as he replied, "Hey! You can't blame me, Yuka-tan! Funny is funny!"

Minako snatched the flashlight out of Junpei's hand, "What's the matter with you, Junpei?! That's not funny!"

Yukari sighed in relief, "Thank you, Minako..."

"If you really want to thank me, you can… GIVE ME YOUR ETERNAL SOUL!" Minako thundered, wrapping her scarf over her head and using the flashlight for effect.

"AAHHHH!" Yukari screeched even louder as she jumped behind Minato, much to the cobalt-haired teen's surprise. He then watched as his sister and best friend began to laugh like hyenas.

Feeling his visible eyebrow twitch he said, "Okay, you two, that's enough. You're not helping."

Minako wiped a stray tear away as her laughter died down, "I'm sorry; it was just too perfect to pass up!"

"Minako!" Yukari said in both anger and disbelief, to which Minako answered with a sheepish grin.

Despite himself, Minato let out a sigh and put his head in his hand. He blamed Junpei for this. He just _had_ to get Minako started…

"Don't let these two get to you, Yukari. Just ignore them," Minato whispered reassuringly, in an effort to comfort the still trembling brunette.

"Y-You're right. Thanks, Minato-kun," Yukari smiled gratefully.

Minato nodded before looking over to the two snickering tricksters and shook his head.

Then Akihiko, who had up until now had been quietly observing the scene with a bemused smirk, asked the question that Minato himself had been wondering, "Wait a second… How'd you get that flashlight to work during the Dark Hour?"

Minako stopped giggling and looked down at the device in her hands, "Oh yeah… How _did_ you manage that, Junpei?"

"Huh? Oh! Well, since I realized that my stuff wouldn't work in the Dark Hour, I asked Fuuka and Ai-chan if they could hook me up!"

"Whoa! You know how to make electronics work during the Dark Hour, Fuuka?!" Minako asked, awestruck.

Even though he knew Fuuka was a whiz with electronics, Minato was still surprised that she managed such a thing.

Fuuka started to blush bashfully as everyone looked at her in awe, "Well… Just a little bit… I couldn't have done it without Aigis's help…"

"Hmm… Very impressive, Yamagishi. If that's the case, then I could use your assistance when we return to the dorm," Mitsuru said.

"Oh, of course!" Fuuka replied with a smile.

"However, further discussion should wait until later; the Dark Hour is about to end," Aigis informed.

Well, he couldn't argue with that. He just hoped that they would be able to sneak back into their rooms without any trouble…

* * *

Thankfully, SEES managed to sneak back into their rooms a little after the Dark Hour ended. Minato and Junpei, who shared the same room, quickly changed into their sleeping attire and fell asleep as soon as they laid on their futons. Exhausted from spending the entire Dark Hour slaying Shadows, Minato had been enjoying a beautiful, dreamless sleep…

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

…Until now…

"Ugh…" Minato groaned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he glanced at the clock. Who could be waking him up at… 6:00?! What the hell?! If this was Kenji trying to drag him to eat some _"Special Kyoto Ramen," _he was going to shove the idiot's chopsticks somewhere _very _unpleasant…

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Uhh… Minato, get the door…" Junpei whined.

Minato sighed as he grudgingly left the warmth of his futon, stomped his way to the sliding door, and threw it open. He was prepared to open up a can of whoop ass on whoever dared to disturb his slumber…

"Good morning, Arisato."

…Until he realized it was Mitsuru-senpai. Seeing her face, he felt all of his annoyance drain out of him.

Minato managed a small smile, "Good morning, Mitsuru-senpai…"

"I apologize for waking you, but Toriumi-sensei asked me to pass along a message," she explained.

Minato's visible eyebrow rose, "A message…?"

Mitsuru nodded, "Yes. She said that everyone is to gather in the lobby at 10:00 sharp for a mandatory assembly."

"You don't think she knows about us going out last night, do you?" Minato asked, starting to feel concerned.

"I don't know," Mitsuru admitted, "But I suppose we shouldn't push our luck by not attending. If she does know something, we'll handle it then. For now however, just tell everyone to be there _on time_."

"Will do," Minato replied, looking over at a certain cap-loving teen who had already fallen back to sleep.

Mitsuru nodded, before turning on her heel and walking away. Before she was out of earshot Minato called out to her. Stopping just before the stairs, she looked back at him questioningly.

"…I'm glad you're feeling better, Senpai…" Minato said with a smile.

He could see the slight surprise on her face, most likely from the odd timing of the statement, but it was the truth. Before she could reply, he quickly ended the conversation by sliding the door shut, planning on getting some more sleep after the unexpected (but somewhat welcome) interruption.

* * *

Ever since the beginning of the school year, Minato had questioned the mental stability of Gekkoukan's faculty. From Ono-sensei, who would probably be more infatuated with the Sengoku era than his first-born child, to Miyahara-sensei, who believed numbers were artistic masterpieces, Minato wondered just how thorough the school's screening process was. And now, it looked like Toriumi-sensei was vying for a top spot in that category…

"Alright, everyone, listen up! Today marks the beginning of the Gekkoukan Test of Courage!" Toriumi announced flamboyantly.

Instead of applause, everyone broke out into perplexed mutterings, wondering what the hell the composition teacher was talking about. Toriumi-sensei lowered her outstretched arms as her face contorted into a deep frown, clearly put off by the lack of enthusiasm displayed by the students.

"Come now, everyone! Where's your spirit?! This is a special event that I worked hard to arrange for all of you at this hotel. Now, listen up; I'm going to explain how it works. All of you will divide into teams of four - you allowed to choose your group – and then the groups will participate in a contest between one another to ascertain which team is the most fearless." Toriumi- sensei explained.

Wait… 'The most fearless'…? That doesn't mean…!

As if reading his mind, Toriumi-sensei continued, "Yep! It's an all-out scare-off between all of you! I was trying to figure out a way to foster friendship and unity between the students, and this was the perfect idea! Now, the contest will take place in the hotel the night after tomorrow, giving you all two days to prepare. You may use whatever you'd like, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Now, hurry and get into groups! Chop, chop!"

As Toriumi- sensei left her position at the front, chaos ensued as everyone hustled to find a group. Minato, however, stayed rooted in place, still trying to process what just happened. Just what was Toriumi-sensei thinking…? A 'scare-off' against all the students on the field trip…? Of all the absurd things he'd experienced this year, this one takes the cake. As Minato was struggling to refrain from face-palming, he was pulled out of his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder.

"Hm…?"

"Minato-san, what is this 'Test of Courage'?" Aigis asked, tilting her head curiously.

That's right… Being a combat android, Aigis doesn't know anything about such an inane activity.

Minato sighed exasperatedly, "Normally, it's an event where teams of people go somewhere that's supposedly haunted. Those who can handle it are considered to be brave, and those who freak out are ridiculed until the end of time…"

…Which is why he couldn't fathom how scaring the crap out of each other was supposed to "_foster friendship and unity between the students."_

"So does that mean that this hotel is haunted?" Aigis looked around, probably scanning for mystical beings.

"No Aigis, the hotel isn't haunted at all. That's probably the reason why Sensei wants us to do the scaring…"

"Hmm… I understand," Aigis nodded, "Then may I be in your group, Minato-san?"

"What…? _My_ _group_?"

"Yes. I want to protect you from the other teams." Aigis said sincerely, gazing into his eyes.

Protect him…? He doubted he would need it. Minato was never one to be easily scared, especially after everything he's seen in the past year. He also believed that many of his fellow peers weren't foolhardy enough to actually try something on him. Not if they wanted to continue eating solid food, anyway… Even so, the sentiment behind Aigis' words was rather touching.

Giving the blonde a small smile, Minato placed a hand on her shoulder affectionately, "Thank you, Aigis. I appreciate it. But I don't think I'm even going to participate."

"Think again, Arisato-kun." Toriumi-sensei said as she approached the two. Minato raised an eyebrow and frowned, not liking where this was going. "The Test of Courage is a _mandatory_ event. Those who refuse to participate will automatically forfeit and receive their _punishment_."

"…What's the punishment…?" Minato asked warily.

Toriumi- sensei brought her hand up to her chin in thought, "Hmm… I'm not quite sure yet… However, I don't recommend trying to skip out on the event. Once I do figure out a suitable punishment, I assure you, it won't be something you can brush off so easily…"

With a malevolent chuckle, Toriumi-sensei turned on her heel and departed toward the other teachers. Minato didn't like the sound of that… Like he said, Gekkoukan's faculty was only questionably sane, _at best_. He really didn't want to find out nor experience the punishment that these _"educators"_ would come up with.

Releasing a distressed groan, Minato conceded, "Ugh… Fine, then… I guess we're in the same group, Aigis."

Hearing his words, Aigis smiled contentedly, "Thank you, Minato-san!"

"Aw man… So you two already formed a group, huh…?" Junpei said as he walked up to them, followed by Minako and Fuuka.

"Yeah…" Minato nodded, "Are you three in a group?"

"Yeah, man!" Junpei laughed excitedly, "Haha! This is gonna rock! A contest where I get to show off my scaring expertise… Man, I'm in heaven!"

"We thought it'd be a good idea to all work together, but since we can only have four people, I guess we won't be in the same group..." Fuuka added, a bit disappointed.

"Don't worry, Fuuka! We may not be in the same group, but we'll still see each other before the contest starts!" Minako assured.

"…Yes, you're right," Fuuka grinned.

"Well then, we'd better get going; we still have to find another person to be in our group. See you later, Aigis, Minato-nii!" Minako smiled sweetly as she and the others disappeared into the crowd.

…

…This situation just went from bad to worse…

Minato knew exactly what his sister was hiding behind that innocent smile of hers. Although most people never would have pegged her as one, Minako Arisato was a horror enthusiast. Her stack of horror movies was tall enough to touch his chin, and she studied each one of them like they were her textbooks. While it may have seemed like this was just a silly activity to her, this event was probably where she'd shine the most. Not to mention she put careful consideration into who joined her team. Fuuka was excellent with electronics, as demonstrated from last night's events and the new headphones that hung around both of their necks. Having those skills in her arsenal gives Minako a lot more creative freedom in planning out her mischiefs. And Junpei, while not the sharpest tool in the shed, was just as enthusiastic about this as she was, allowing her to bounce ideas off of him without seeming to get too into it. Every choice she's made has been geared to giving her optimal chances of scaring the student body… Well, he can't say he's surprised… She wouldn't have been co-SEES leader for this long if she didn't think things through like this…

Aigis' voice brought him out of his musings, "Minato-san, I believe that we should gain more members to our team."

"Hm…? Oh yeah, you're right… Well then, why don't we go look around?"

* * *

Dammit… Why did everything happen to her…?

Yukari was marching towards the outside garden, as that was where she had heard Toriumi-sensei was headed. There was no chance in hell that she was going to participate in this stupid contest. Running around the hotel, scaring each other… She didn't want to waste valuable field trip time on _that_…

"Hm…? Can I help you, Takeba-san?" Toriumi-sensei asked, interrupting the brunette's inner tirade.

"Toriumi-sensei, I can't be a part of this!" Yukari said determinedly.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because it's ridiculous! I don't want to waste my time doing _this_!"

"I hardly think it's a waste of time. After all, wouldn't you rather participate in a fun contest with your friends than visit old shrines?" Toriumi-sensei reasoned.

Yukari groaned; she had a point... She didn't enjoy going to visit all the shrines in Kyoto, and since the Culture Festival was cancelled, she definitely wanted a chance to do something fun with her friends. However, the reason she didn't want to go through with the event was somewhat different from the excuse she gave Toriumi-sensei…

As if reading her thoughts, Toriumi-sensei asked with an amused smirk, "Or… is it because you're afraid, Takeba-san…?"

Yukari stiffened before stuttering out an explanation, "N-N-No…! I just think it's a bad idea, that's all…! I'm not scared!"

"Good. Then you won't mind participating. But you'd better find a group soon before they're all filled. Good luck, Takeba-san!" Toriumi-sensei exclaimed as she made a hasty retreat before the brunette could reply.

"Wait…!" Yukari reached out a hand, as if trying to reel in the teacher, but then let her hand fall limply to her side as she realized the action's futility. Yukari sighed, feeling very depressed at the inevitability of her fate.

"Is something the matter, Yukari-san?" she heard someone ask from behind.

She turned around to see Aigis and Minato-kun walking up to her, both of them with inquisitive looks on their faces.

"Oh… Um… It's nothing..." Yukari laughed anxiously, waving a hand to dispel the two's concerns.

"Weren't you discussing forfeiting the contest with Toriumi-sensei?" Aigis asked, tilting her head.

"Oh… You heard that, huh…?" Yukari sighed, lowering her head in shame.

She heard Minato-kun chuckle as he said, "Yeah… Looks like there's no way out of this…"

Yukari groaned again. This was going to be horrible…

"Yukari," she looked up at Minato-kun after hearing her name. "Why don't you join our group…?"

"Huh…?" she gaped at the cobalt-haired teen.

"Well, we're all in the same boat…" Minato-kun explained, "It might be easier on all of us if we stick together."

At that, Yukari visibly brightened, smiling gratefully, "Yeah… I'd like that. Thanks, Minato-kun."

He nodded with a small smile, "You're welcome… But Toriumi-sensei had a point; we should try to find another person for our group."

"Right!" Yukari agreed feeling much more relieved.

"We should return to the lobby; there will likely be more people there," Aigis suggested.

With a nod from the other two, the trio turned around, discussing possible candidates to be brought into their team.

* * *

"…Well, you have to admit, it's an interesting idea…" Akihiko said.

"Perhaps, but it doesn't excuse the fact that it's entirely inappropriate," Mitsuru replied sharply.

Akihiko took another sip from his protein drink before continuing, "Come on, Mitsuru, lighten up… If you ask me, I'd say it's a nice change of pace."

Mitsuru released a small sigh, "I suppose so…"

"Anyway, you heard Toriumi; everyone has to participate so we can't back out either..."

"Unfortunately…" Mitsuru muttered under her breath.

Akihiko chuckled, "So we might as well go through with it and find some people to join us…"

"Yes, you're right…" Mitsuru conceded as she drank her cup of tea, looking at the students in the lobby.

Akihiko smiled; it came as a huge relief to have Mitsuru back to normal. Although she was complaining, at least it was better than the sullen, soulless demeanor that she had had before. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, he wondered what would happen at this "Test of Courage." It wasn't a tradition at Gekkoukan, so it would be an entirely new experience for him. Despite that, he was looking forward to the event, believing it would be amusing at the very least. He chuckled to himself, remembering the look on Takeba's face when Toriumi made the announcement. All of the color had drained from her face, and he had noticed quite a bit of perspiration forming. She looked like she had seen a ghost… Although, knowing of the brunette's fear of poltergeists, he figured that she had probably started to imagine them after hearing the news.

A loud voice brought him out of his musings, "Hey, Mina-tan! What do you think of this one!?"

Akihiko looked over to see Junpei and Fuuka at one of the umbrella-covered tables, with Minako approaching them with soda cans in hand.

"Ooh! You got something, Junpei!? Let me see!" he heard the auburn-haired girl say eagerly.

"Hah! Check out this beauty!" Junpei said proudly, thrusting a notebook into Minako's hands.

"Hmm… Not bad, Junpei! This'll be great! But do you think you can make it, Fuuka?"

Fuuka nodded, "I think so… But I'll need to get some tools…"

"No problem. We'll go shopping for supplies a little later," Minako assured, "But, Junpei, do you know what'll make this even better?"

"Yeah…? Yeah…?" Junpei asked in anticipation.

"Well…" He watched as Minako looked around conspiratorially before sitting down and leaning into the capped teen to whisper something in his ear.

When Junpei laughed in response, quickly joined by Minako, Akihiko narrowed his eyes at the sight and felt a pang of emotion that he couldn't quite place. He had felt this way before, but only over a couple of occasions and he didn't fully understand it, then or now. It felt analogous to anger, but it didn't fill his heart with the same burning sensation that he associated with the emotion. It was like… anger mixed with sorrow, with a dash of resentment and yearning…

"Akihiko."

He snapped out of his thoughts as he stared at his companion questioningly.

"There's no need to stare at Arisato and Iori with such a sour expression…" the redhead smirked, before raising the teacup to her lips once more.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, the boxer tried to stutter out some form of explanation, but his words seemed to have escaped him.

Chuckling lowly, Mitsuru interrupted him, "There's no need to explain yourself; I understand completely…"

Akihiko frowned, believing the heiress to have made more out of his glaring than there was. Wait a minute… Was he really glaring at them…? No, he convinced himself, Mitsuru must've been mistaken. There was no reason for him to be glaring at the pair…

He was, yet again, startled out of his thoughts by a hand latching onto his shoulder. His battle instincts taking over, he whirled around, ready to strike at the presence he sensed behind him…

"Whoa! Calm down, Sanada-san!"

At hearing the familiar voice, his fist froze in midair, about two millimeters from the face of the new transfer student, Mochizuki Ryoji. The black-haired teen was clearly frightened by the boxer's sudden attack, his cerulean eyes wide with both hands raised in an effort to convey that he meant no harm.

Akihiko's body relaxed as he withdrew his fist from in front of the teen's face, "Sorry… What it is, Mochizuki?"

He watched as the other teen visibly relaxed, what with the threat of a thrashing finally gone, "Uh… Wow, Sanada-san… I knew you were jealous, but not _this _much…"

What? "Jealous…?"

As if regretting his words, Mochizuki quickly tried to placate the boxer, "Uh… Not that you need to be…! I mean, there are plenty of girls who have taken an interest in you…"

What? Girls? "What're you talking about?"

Taking his confusion as a sign that he was in the clear, Mochizuki smirked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows occasionally, "I saw it... The way you were checking out Minako and Junpei-kun… I mean, I guess I understand why you'd be so worried since they spend a lot of time together, but trust me; Junpei-kun is _definitely_ not Minako's type."

Even though the teen's words did ease his nerves somewhat, Akihiko still felt bothered by the way Mochizuki, who only just transferred here, used Minako's first name with such familiarity. And what he said next only fostered that apprehension…

"After all, Minako has me now... Anyway, I should go over there and say hello! That way, she'll have the opportunity to ask me to be in her group!"

Not a chance in hell… Junpei would have to score highest in his grade before he'd let Mochizuki flirt with Minako! While the rumors about the capped teen going out with Minako agitated him, he was even more concerned about the new transfer student since he'd taken to Minako the first day they met. Akihiko felt his fingers dig into his leather gloves as he clenched his fists, watching as Mochizuki examined his breath by smelling the air that he breathed into his hand. Before he knew what he was doing, his mouth quickly opened, "Or you could join our group…!"

That stopped him in his tracks, "_Our _group…?"

Although he felt guilty about manipulating the teen like this, he had no other choice, "Yeah… Me and _Mitsuru's_ group. We'd… love to have you in it…"

After seeing the look of revelation on Mochizuki's face and then the perverted grin, he knew that he made the right decision in stressing the fact that Mitsuru was going to be in the group as well.

"Well, I guess I _could _help you out… Minako will be disappointed, but I can always make it up to her later…"

"Right…" Akihiko forced out through gritted teeth.

"Well then, if I'm going to be in Mitsuru-san's group, I'd better go make some reservations—uh… I mean _arrangements_…" And with that, the teen bolted up the stairs, his giddy laughter hanging in the air.

Akihiko sighed; whenever he talked with Mochizuki for too long, he'd always end up with a headache… Well, at least he kept him from bothering Minako… A small smile formed on his face at the thought of him protecting the auburn-haired girl.

However, that smile quickly faded as he felt a presence behind him. It wasn't Mochizuki, and it definitely wasn't a Shadow. No, this presence was much darker, much more malicious, and most pointedly, much more bloodthirsty than anything he had ever felt before. A chill crawled up his spine as he felt the frosty glare that bore into his back. He turned around slowly, if only to increase the chance that it was just his imagination playing a cruel trick on him… But it was not meant to be as he flinched back in unadulterated terror.

"_Akihiko_…" Mitsuru growled dangerously, her voice laced with fury.

Akihiko audibly swallowed, finding his throat to be instantly dry. His heart was pounding against his chest, and he opened his mouth, trying to force air back into his lungs. He could hear the swishing of his half-drunken protein drink as his hand trembled uncontrollably. He tried to avert his gaze away from the seething redhead, but found the task to be nearly impossible as her arctic gaze paralyzed his entire being. The redhead slowly rose from her seat on the cushions, and then, one after another, took menacing steps toward the cowering boxer.

Finally, his self-preservation instincts took effect as he struggled to find some way out of his impending execution. He considered fleeing from the girl, but quickly banished the thought, remembering the first time he tried that; it only resulted in making her angrier. Maybe he could bribe her with something, like he had done with Mochizuki…? But what could he possibly offer her that the heiress of the Kirijo Group couldn't get on her own…? He could reason with her, as Mitsuru was a fervent believer in the concept. However, he had no idea what he could say that would condone the fact that he had basically used her as bait for a skirt-chasing pervert who was close friends with _Junpei_.

"Ah! Aigis, what are you doing!?" he heard from a few meters away.

"Minato-san, be careful! I sense something wrong with the atmosphere!" came the guarded reply of Aigis as she clung to Minato protectively.

Something wrong with the air…? What the hell was she talking about…? After a few more seconds of thought, the boxer realized that Aigis must've sensed the murderous intent of his friend and –her social skills lacking – believed there to be something wrong with the air. If not for the serious predicament he found himself in, he probably would've laughed at the android's antics. However, noticing how the heiress was momentarily distracted by the scene, he seized this opportunity to put some distance between them and find some cover…

…Which was, incidentally, the cobalt-haired teen at the heart of the scene.

"Ah! Akihiko-senpai, what's the matter?" Minato asked as Akihiko quickly joined the trio.

The boxer leaned in before quietly pleading, "Sorry, but I can't explain right now… Just do me a favor and stay between me and Mitsuru."

Akihiko could see the teen's visible eyebrow arched, but before Minato could ask him what he was talking about, Akihiko moved behind him, as he heard the muffled sounds of Mitsuru's high heels on the carpet.

"Oh hey, Mitsuru-senpai!" Takeba greeted, smiling.

"Hello Yukari," Mitsuru replied, a warm smile on her face. However, as soon as her gaze fell on him, it twisted into a small frown, the heiress clearing her throat before addressing him, "Akihiko, might I have a word with you?"

Although her voice was calm, and her expression even, Akihiko knew that it was only a mask to conceal her anger, clearly not wanting to attack him in front of the three underclassmen – especially, as he suspected, not in front of the cobalt-haired teen he was currently hiding behind.

Akihiko breathed a sigh of relief; as long as Minato separated the two, Mitsuru wouldn't dare lash out at him. Even so, best to leave before the crimson-haired genius found a way around it.

"Sorry Mitsuru, but me and Minato have something to talk about; it's _really_ urgent…"

Akihiko shot Minato a look, beseeching him to go along with his excuse. The teen's eyebrow arched again, studying the look on his face before yielding with a shake of his head.

"Yeah… I wanted to ask you something, Akihiko-senpai…"

Smiling and silently thanking the heavens for his leader's benevolence, Akihiko began pulling him by his jacket up the stairs, away from the aggravated heiress.

* * *

Mitsuru shook her head disappointedly. Akihiko really should know better. Although he managed to stall his punishment, he couldn't hide from her forever… She began to regain her composure as she shifted her attention away from the retreating boxer. She would deal with him later…

"Um… Mitsuru-senpai…? What was that about…?" Yukari asked tentatively.

She sighed, "Akihiko just experienced a bout of insanity… There's no need for concern though; I'll take care of him…"

She watched as the younger girl's eyes grew to the size of saucers, as she swallowed audibly. Mitsuru couldn't resist a small smirk; Yukari knew her well.

"Does that mean you are going to reprimand Akihiko-san, Mitsuru-san?"

Mitsuru nodded curtly, "Indeed…"

"Uh… Why…?" Yukari asked, her voice filled with both curiosity and caution.

"I believe it has something to do with Ryoji-san. I heard him yelling on the second floor a few moments ago," Aigis replied, frowning.

Although Aigis was correct, Mitsuru couldn't help but wonder why she held such hostility toward the teen. It was true that Mochizuki was unusual, not to mention a bit of a womanizer, but she hardly believed that such things would provoke the android to this extent. Yukari on the other hand…

"Oh, don't tell me he hit on you _again_, Senpai!" Yukari groaned, her face twisting with disgust. "Doesn't he have anything better to do?!"

"Evidently not… Which is the reason why I was so frustrated when Akihiko invited him to join our group..."

"Ryoji-kun is joining _your_ group?!" Yukari asked horrified.

"Unfortunately…" Mitsuru sighed, bringing a hand to her head.

"Be careful, Mitsuru-san; Ryoji-san is dangerous," Aigis warned darkly, causing the two girls to look at her in bewilderment.

"Right… Anyway, even though you're stuck with him Senpai, I'm sort of relieved that he didn't join me and Minato-kun's group," Yukari admitted, flashing an apologetic smile at the redhead's scowl.

Mitsuru folded her arms as she clutched the bridge of her nose; now she _absolutely certain_ that this wouldn't be an enjoyable event. Shifting her thoughts from the coquettish transfer student, she considered Yukari's statement. She had suspected that Yukari and Arisato had decided on a coalition as soon as she saw them together; what she hadn't expected was the somewhat acrimonious feelings she held towards it. It wasn't as though she had intended on joining the cobalt-haired teen's group (frankly, she had been too preoccupied struggling to accept the competition to give it any consideration), but the idea wasn't entirely unwelcome… And despite herself, she couldn't help but recall the rumors about the two juniors that started circulating at the beginning of the school year and persisted even to this day. Normally, she wouldn't put much stock in such rumors, since more often than not they were proven false, but considering how close the two teens are makes her wonder if something of that nature was developing between them…

"Alright guys, let's take a break! I'm going to go out and get some snacks, then we'll continue the meeting!" she heard SEES' female leader call, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Ooh! Bring me back some ramen!" Junpei replied eagerly.

"Sure!" Minako smiled as she left.

Mitsuru allowed herself a smirk. Although she wasn't sure of Yukari's and the cobalt-haired teen's relationship, the one that was developing between Akihiko and the auburn-haired girl was unquestionable… However, her amusement quickly vanished once she remembered how the boxer offered her up on a silver platter to one of the most hormone-driven teens she'd ever met. She mentally groaned; she needed to lie down for a while to quell the headache that was quickly forming. She bid her teammates farewell before retiring to her room.

* * *

She had had her doubts… After all, there were so many conflicting arguments, but now, she was sure of it…

Pocky had to be the single greatest snack in the world! The way the thin sticks crunched whenever she bit down on them, making the most satisfying sound… And the flavor of the of the biscuits blended perfectly with the delectable taste of the chocolate coating, eliciting songs of rejoice from her taste buds every time the snack touched her tongue... Truly, the delicious treat must have been carefully crafted by some wondrous higher being. As she took another bite a tear came to her eye; she would have to visit one of the shrines to thank the heavens for this exquisite creation!

As she rounded the corner, she walked up the stone steps that led to the Nogi shrine. She dropped 200 yen into the offering box, before carefully setting her pocky on the ground beside her. She took one last look around to make sure she was alone; she'd hate to have to go to jail for murdering any fool who dared to pilfer her snacks. Once she was satisfied, she bowed her head, closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in prayer.

"Thank you for the miraculous, perfect snack known as Pocky…" Minako mumbled reverently, remembering the treat's taste once again.

"Yes, thank you for the snack, Master Minako."

She heard the slight creaking of the cardboard box before hearing a small crunch directly behind her…

Oh no, her Pocky…!

"Release the sweets, you creep!" Minako yelled as she spun on her heel, her left leg flying toward the thief's head.

"Excellent form, Master Minako," golden eyes filled with mirth stared into shocked ruby as a gloved hand wrapped itself around her ankle, "However, it might be prudent of you to first assess _before_ attacking…"

Minako breathed a sigh of relief; it was just Theo… "Sorry about that, Theo… I thought you were someone else…"

"Really…? You mean there is someone else in this world with a presence identical to mine…?" Theo's expression turned pensive.

Minako sweat-dropped, "No, Theo... I can honestly say that I've never met _anyone_ like you…"

Theo visibly brightened at that, "Wonderful. I'm glad to hear that, Master Minako."

"Uh… No problem, Theo..." Minako replied before averting her gaze with a slight blush, "But, uh… Can I have my leg back, now…?"

She saw Theo turn his attention from her red face to the sock-covered leg he held in his hand. After a few seconds, which felt more like hours to the embarrassed girl, he finally released her leg, allowing Minako to quickly place it on the ground once more.

"I apologize…" Theo bowed deeply before righting himself and taking another Pocky stick out of the package.

"Uh… Don't worry about it…" Minako replied awkwardly, fiddling with the MP3 around her neck. However, the crunching sound of her precious Pocky being eaten snapped her out of her stupor. "Hey, that's _my_ Pocky!"

Theo stopped chewing as he gazed at her quizzically, "Yes, Master Minako…?" Half of the Pocky stick was sticking out of his mouth, causing her anger to waver; it was too cute an expression… No! She can't be taken in by the cuteness! This is _her_ Pocky that's at stake!

She simply glared at the silver-haired attendant as she threw her hand out, gesturing him to hand over her snacks. Theo smirked mischievously as he finished the stick that was in his mouth before taking another one out of the package. Minako's eyes widened when he put the treat in his mouth once again. "Hey! Quit it, Theo!"

Theo ate the second piece and moved to eat a third, all the while smirking impishly. Okay, that does it! Minako sprang toward him as she grabbed at the box, but Theo quickly dodged to the left. She quickly redirected and charged at him again, only succeeding in grabbing air as Theo again sidestepped out of her path. He began laughing at her vain attempts to retrieve the box from him.

Minako paused as she took a deep breath; she would have to be smart about this if she wanted to get her Pocky back. She could tell that Theo wasn't a pushover when it came to things like this; just like in Tartarus, she'd have to use strategy and tactics to overcome her opponent.

She charged at him once again, and he dodged her yet again. However, immediately after, she spun around to his other side, aiming her foot at his shoulder this time. He was obviously surprised by the sudden attack as he stumbled back trying to duck under the kick. Minako smirked to herself; her plan was working… She continued the string of tackling and kicks until Theo was pushed against the shrine's stone wall. She had him now… Minako charged at the man one final time, reaching for the box that housed her favorite snack. However, her victory was short-lived as the box moved from in front of Theo's chest to high up above his head. Theo smirked at her triumphantly. Damn it… There had been one thing she hadn't factored into her strategy; how to deal with the height difference. Minako growled exasperatedly as she was forced to jump after the treat.

Theo laughed cheerfully upon seeing her struggle as he stretched his body to move the Pocky further from her grasp, "Come now, Master Minako, you'll have to try harder that that!"

Ugh! This was getting her nowhere! She couldn't believe that this is what she had to resort to…

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Minako and Theo turned to look at SEES' male leader who was gazing at them with an uncharacteristically baffled expression. Wait a minute…! This was her chance…!

"Aha! Victory is mine!" Minako yelled victoriously as she swiped the package from the distracted Theo, "Thanks for the help, Minato-nii!"

"Uh… You're welcome…?" Minato-nii said, clearly a bit confused at what was transpiring.

"Well played, Master Minako... You are truly worthy of possessing the power of the wild card…" Theo bowed, impressed.

She didn't really know what their little game of keep-away had to do with her unique Persona abilities, but she was too happy about her victory and retrieval of snacks to really care. She brought a piece of Pocky out of the box and popped it into her mouth. Mmm…! Victory never tasted so sweet…!

She was snapped out of her Pocky-induced trance when she heard her brother clear his throat, "Ahem… Does someone want to tell me what's going on here…?"

Minako looked at her brother, then the box in her hands, before finally pointing at the cause of the whole situation, "It was Theo's fault! He stole my Pocky!"

She saw the cobalt-haired teen put his head in his hands and sigh before shaking it with a wry smile on his face, "Why am I not surprised…?"

Minato-nii hadn't inquired about the incident any further, so she didn't think it was the commotion that drew him here. If that was the case… "What are _you_ doing here, Minato-nii?"

Minato-nii took his phone out of his blazer pocket and flipped it open to show a text message, "Elizabeth told me to come to this shrine; she said it was important."

Elizabeth? Why would she want Minato-nii to come _here_? She shot Theo an inquiring look.

"Ah that's right, I was so engrossed in our match that I nearly forgot!" Theo removed a Velvet Key from his blazer pocket and walked up to the shrine's door. The entrance was consumed in a blinding blue light, leaving the familiar door to the Velvet Room in its place. "Right this way, Master Minako, Master Minato," Theo gestured toward the door. The twins looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and walking through the door.

Once the light faded form her vision, Minako once again eyed the elevator that the two wild cards knew as the Velvet Room. Even after all these months, Minako still found it incredible that they could enter the Velvet Room from so many places, yet the room remained unchanged. Although today, there was definitely something missing. "Where's Igor?" she asked, not seeing the long-nosed elder anywhere.

"The Master is away at the moment on business," Elizabeth explained, standing at her usual post next to Igor's small sofa.

Huh? What kind of business could Igor possibly have outside of the Velvet Room? Well… Now that she thought about it, she supposed it was silly of her to assume that Igor, Elizabeth, and Theo just waited around in the Velvet Room for her and Minato-nii to show up. Anyway, that was beside the point. The point was that with Igor gone… "What did you call us for then…?" Minato-nii asked, taking the words right out of her mouth.

"Well…" Elizabeth started, looking unusually timid, "we heard about some sort of competition that you and your peers were holding…"

What? "Competition…?" Minako queried, not quite understanding what the female attendant was referring to.

"Yes, a competition," Theo nodded, "One that involves using hoaxes and ploys in order to strike fear into each other's hearts in an attempt to force them to flee the premises."

"Are you talking about the Test of Courage at our school…?" Minato-nii asked.

Wait, _what_?! She quickly looked at Theo and Elizabeth; they both nodded their heads cheerfully.

"We would like to join your groups and participate in this most exciting event!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"_Our_ groups?!" Minako asked, flabbergasted.

The two attendants nodded once again, their eager smiles never waning.

"Um… I don't really think that's such a good idea…" Minato-nii said sensibly.

Minako was inclined to agree with him. After all, Elizabeth and Theo had already caused them enough trouble during their requested tours of the city with their peculiar antics. So much so that even _more_ rumors about Minako and her brother spread around Gekkoukan like wildfire. Not to mention, the prospect of explaining to everyone why they brought the two strange attendants was… problematic to say the least.

"I-I see… So you don't want us to join you, then…" Theo said crestfallen, his face downcast and a small pout working its way onto his features.

Seeing the sad, yet cute expression on Theo's face pulled at Minako's heartstrings and she quickly stuttered out a response to soothe the male attendant, "N-No! That's not what we meant! It's just that-!"

"You believe that we would get in your way, then…" Elizabeth interrupted, depression quickly overtaking her as well.

Dammit… Now she felt guilty… She looked over at her brother in time to see the flash of remorse that crossed his features as well. She watched as his expression turned into one of contemplation, then of resignation. Minato-nii sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets before he addressed the two sulking siblings, "Alright, alright… I guess it couldn't hurt to at least ask Toriumi-sensei about it…"

"Really?! Oh, thank you so much, Master Minato!" Theo bowed gratefully.

"Yes, thank you! I vow to you that we will not disappoint you!" Elizabeth mimicked Theo's actions.

Minako quickly grabbed her brother by his jacket collar and turned him away from the velvet-clad siblings to ascertain if all those months of fighting abominations in a supernatural tower had finally robbed the cobalt-haired teen of his sanity. "Ask her about it?! What the hell are you thinking, Minato-nii?!"

Minato-nii sighed as his he clutched the bridge of his nose, "Well, it's not like they'd let it go if we hadn't… Besides, it's not the first time we've had to make up something for these two, right?"

That much was true, especially considering how many of their outings with the two attendants raised more than a few eyebrows and consequently prompted many improvised explanations from the twins. And to be honest, Elizabeth and Theo's puppy-dog eyes were formidable to say the least… If Minato-nii hadn't caved when he did, then Minako was certain that she would have.

"I guess you're right…" Minako conceded before turning back to the velvet-clad siblings, "Alright, we'll talk to Toriumi-sensei tonight, but no promises, okay?"

"We understand," they replied simultaneously.

"But before we go, there is one more thing," Minato-nii started, "We're only allowed to have four members per team. Minako and I already have three people on each of our teams so neither of us can take you both…"

That's right… She completely forgot about that…

"That's not a problem, Master Minato. I shall choose to join Master Minako's party." Theo said immediately.

"And as long as you don't mind, I'd like to join yours, Master Minato," Elizabeth requested.

Okay… Apparently it wasn't as much of an issue as Minako had previously thought... "Well, that's fine with me… What do you think, Minato-nii?"

Minato-nii shrugged, "Sure, but let's not count our chickens before they hatch. First we have to deal with Toriumi-sensei…"

"If this _Toriumi-sensei _is going to pose a problem, then we would be more than delighted to deal with her personally…" Elizabeth assured, smirking malignantly as she and Theo opened their compendiums, releasing a faint glow.

"That won't be necessary, Elizabeth!" Minako waved her hands, trying to stop the dangerous attendants, "Please, just let us handle this, alright?!"

"Very well then, Master Minako," Elizabeth replied calmly, shutting her compendium with a thud, Theo quickly following suit. "Then we wish you good fortune."

She and her brother both nodded before walking back through the velvet door to return their own world.

* * *

"You really need to learn to share, Minako…"

"And you need to learn to get your own, Minato-nii!" Minako shot back sharply.

Minato sighed as he brought a hand to his head, trying to ignore the rumbling coming from his stomach. Minato and Minako decided to head back to the hotel after leaving the Velvet Room in order to request Toriumi-sensei to allow the attendants to join their group. While they were passing through the shopping district, they had been discussing some arguments that they could use to persuade her, but the conversation got a bit off topic once Minato's stomach started to become chatty. In his defense, he hadn't had lunch because of the chaos caused by the competition and the message from Elizabeth, so it was only natural. He had asked Minako if he could have some of her Pocky sticks, but as usual she was being pretty stingy when it came to her food.

"I told you, I'll get you some more Pocky later!" Minato groaned, grasping at his empty stomach.

"And I told you, get your own Pocky!" Minako huffed, "No one likes a moocher, Minato-nii!"

"And no one likes a stingy glutton either," Minato shot back.

Minako huffed again before putting another stick in her mouth, biting down with more force than before. Now she was just mocking him…

A laugh brought the twins out of their squabble, "Man, at it again you two?"

"Oh hey Yuko," Minako greeted the team manager with a nod.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, Yuko. Minako's deadly serious when it comes to her food," Rio approached the group with a playful smirk.

Minako scoffed, "Make fun all you want; no one's laying a finger on my Pocky."

Minato sighed; looks like he would have to go hungry for now... "Anyway… What are you two doing here?"

Yuko stopped giggling before she replied, "We came here with Kaz and Kenji; they said they wanted to get ready."

Well _that_ sounded suspicious… Minato raised an eyebrow, "Get ready for what exactly…?"

"The Test of Courage," Rio answered, "Kenji and Kaz are all pumped up about it, so they wanted to buy some stuff out here to help them win."

"Wait a second, so does that mean you all are a group?" Minako asked.

"That's right…" Rio shrugged, "Although I don't know how those two idiots managed to talk us into it…"

Minako rolled her eyes at the athlete with a knowing smile on her face, "Sure... Of course you don't…"

He saw Rio's face flush a deep red before yelling angrily, "Shut up!"

As Minako and Yuko started to giggle at the girl's bashful display, Minato's mind wandered a bit. He wondered why his two friends were so serious about the competition. Well, he could understand Kenji getting into it, but Kaz? He certainly didn't seem like the type to enjoy this kind of activity…

"Hey Minato-kun, what's with that serious look on your face?" Yuko asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What, are worried that Kaz and Kenji will win and you'll get the punishment?"

Hmm… So does that mean that Toriumi-sensei finally decided on a way to punish the students who lost or skipped the event…? "That depends… What's the punishment…?"

He saw Yuko and Rio cringe after the question left his mouth. That was definitely a bad omen…

Apparently Minako noticed it as well, "What, is it that bad…?"

"It horrible…" He managed to make out of the two girls' mutterings.

"What is…?" Minato asked cautiously, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

The two girls looked at each other timidly before averting their eyes to anywhere but the twins.

"Come on guys, just tell us!" Minako commanded, clearly not appreciating the suspense, not that he could blame her.

He watched as Rio quickly shoved Yuko towards them as she took a step back. Yuko whipped her head around to glare indignantly at the athlete before sighing turning towards them again.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…" Yuko paused before reluctantly continuing, "Anyone who skips the Test of Courage or loses has to…"

Has to…?

"HAS TO CLEAN THE SCIENCE LAB!" Yuko shrieked.

Minato felt his indifferent expression shatter as his gag reflex started to act up and he took an instinctive step back. He looked beside him to see Minako clasp her hand over her mouth, probably trying to keep her eaten Pocky from reappearing for a return visit. If it was anyone else besides his bottomless pit of a sister, he was certain he would be seeing those snacks again… Though it was an understandable reaction… Just what the hell was Toriumi-sensei thinking?! Never mind punishment; that was practically a death sentence! The Science Club was run by Ounishi-sensei and although she wasn't a bad science teacher, there were definitely some sketchy rumors surrounding her whenever she got her hands on some chemicals. Not to mention, the club members had to be the most unsettling students that Gekkoukan had to offer. It wasn't clear exactly what the club did, but there were plenty of ominous rumors about it. Animal testing, poison concocting, things like that… Now, Minato never really believed the rumor mill at Gekkoukan to be a reputable source, but a personal run-in with the club did add some credibility to the claims. Apparently, there was an unofficial rule that prohibited anyone unaffiliated with the club from entering the lab. Although it was simply implied, it was still taken seriously by the entire student body and the members. He and his sister had learned this the hard way when they wandered into the lab one time, looking for an anatomical model for one of Elizabeth and Theo's requests. Nakamura Susumu, the club's leader, was practically ready to use them in one of the club's experiments. Needless to say, that was the last time the twins ever dared to enter into the lab.

"That's crazy! Who in their right mind would want to clean _that_?" Minako said, baffled.

"Word is, Ounishi-sensei managed to convince Toriumi-sensei that it would be a fitting punishment for all the losers and whoever decided to play hooky, and that's how this whole nightmare started," Rio explained with a grimace.

Now he understood why Kazushi is getting so into the competition; Gekkoukan had students of all different kinds, but every single one of them would agree to do just about anything to avoid that fate. Meaning that the competition was about to get infinitely more difficult. And considering that only one group of four could win, a large amount of them would have to face condemnation…

"I see…" Minato looked over at his sister as she lowered her head, concealing her expression beneath her auburn hair. A few seconds passed as he and the other two girls looked on silently with curiosity and a touch of concern. Finally, her head rose and she threw a glare at him that would have killed a lesser man. Minato was taken aback by this sudden change. Ruby eyes once shining with Pocky-induced joy were now hard and unyielding, a dangerous glint flashing across her irises as she intensified her glare. Her stance was wide and solid, her body becoming tenser with each passing moment. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that she was getting prepared to attack a group of Shadows. "Well then, if that's the case…" She clenched the fist that wasn't holding her box of Pocky. "I'LL JUST HAVE TO DEFEAT ALL OF YOU!"

Minato's eyes widened and he heard slight gasps from the other girls at Minako's determined proclamation.

"There's _no way_ in hell that I'm cleaning that death trap of a science lab!" Minako exclaimed with a wave her hands.

"I don't think so!" Rio countered, a fire burning in her eyes as well. "You couldn't _pay_ me to go in there and besides, I'd look pretty bad if I lost to you, Minako!"

"That's right!" Yuko agreed as she pumped her fist. "We're gonna win this whole thing and win a "get out of science lab" card! C'mon Rio, let's go help the boys find some stuff!"

Rio quickly nodded and the two bolted to another street, leaving large dusts clouds in their wake. Minato waved his hand in front of him to shield himself from the dust.

"That was fast…" He coughed before muttering to himself, "She just _had_ to get them started…"

Although he was complaining, similar sentiments were arising in the cobalt-haired teen himself. He sure as hell didn't want to clean the science lab; who knows what's in that place…? Not to mention that if Minako's team did end up winning, she and Junpei would probably gloat about until the end of time… He would have to whatever he could to make sure that his team won.

"Well then, I'm going to head back to the hotel now…" Minato told his opponent. Although Rio and Yuko were off to get materials, Minato's experience at being SEES' co-field leader taught him that a great victory often started with a great team.

"Funny… I was just about to do the same thing…" Minako replied nonchalantly. After another moment had passed, Minako dashed off in the direction of the hotel at a daunting speed. "See ya later, Minato-nii!" She called over her shoulder with a triumphant laugh.

Minato was stunned at the auburn-haired girl's hasty exit before he began sprinting after her himself, "Hey! Minako!"

Eventually Minato caught up to the girl, causing her to sprint even faster. The twins tore through the shopping district at full throttle, knocking down carts and bumping into a plethora of people in their impromptu race back to the hotel. With the stakes raised and some heated words exchanged, the Gekkoukan students were practically at each other's' throats, vying for the coveted escape from certain death.

The game was afoot…

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. Feel free to review and say what you thought. Constructive criticism is always welcome, especially for the battle scene since I was having a difficult time in writing a decent one. I'll try to get the second chapter out as soon as possible so long as nothing too pressing comes up. Until then, this is Lady Sinistra signing off.


	2. Preparations

A/N: I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. If I'm being honest, I was having a bit of trouble writing this chapter exactly how I wanted. So I ended up becoming frustrated and letting it sit for a while. Then other things got in the way (school, friends, etc.) and I was having trouble finding the time. Anyway, I hope you all are still interested in this story. And because they brought such a smile to my face, I decided to respond to some of the reviews!

**Mirai666**: That's exactly why I wanted to put Theo and Elizabeth in here. Ryoji and Junpei are all well and good, but I think that Akihiko would feel the most threatened by Theo.

**Lin**: Just doing my part to add to the Minato/Mitsuru fandom. I'm so sorry for the wait…

**Blackfang27**: You have no idea how happy I was when I saw that you read my story, Fang! I'm really glad you're enjoying it. And I'm also relieved that you felt that everyone was in character because it is something I always try to pay close attention to.

**Salce**: I agree with you. Honestly, I prefer when Minato's shown as more like a normal person rather than some sort of perfect superhero. I feel he's more realistic and relatable that way. It's always nice to hear people actually like the personality that I imagined for Minato and Minako, and that I'm capturing the other characters' personalities as well, so thank you!

**RandomPasserby**: I'm glad you like it! Hopefully, this chapter will be worth the wait I put you all through…

P3: A Test of Courage Ch. 2: Preparations

* * *

"How does it taste…?" Aigis asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Meow…!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Minato-san and Minako-san once told me that this was a popular brand among felines." Aigis poured some milk into a saucer, "Here, felines enjoy milk as well, correct?"

The small brown cat purred in agreement as it leaned over the saucer and softly lapped at the milk with its small pink tongue.

Aigis smiled gently as she observed the lean cat happily devouring the food. She noticed that she's been admiring these simple occurrences more often as of late. A few months ago, her only concern was combating Shadows and protecting Minato-san and Minako-san; nothing else mattered to her. However, lately she's been taking more interest in the world around her, from the brown cat in front of her to the hundreds of different people she's met in Port Island. There was also the Test of Courage, which she was looking forward to as well. It would not only be a new experience for her, but she would also be able to spend time with Minato-san since she opted to join his group.

"Meow…" The small cat's whimpers brought her out of her thoughts. The feline was tapping the empty box of cat food with its black paw, while looking up at her with pleading eyes. Although she wanted to give her new friend more to eat, she didn't have any more food.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any more…" she told it, smiling apologetically.

The cat whimpered disappointedly as it began to sulk.

Aigis, wanting to appease the cat, quickly stood up, "Wait here a moment; I'll see if I can obtain some more."

The cat immediately perked up as its cerulean eyes widened, staring up at her as if she was a goddess. It purred happily as it rubbed against her leg before getting comfortable at its place on the ground.

Aigis walked back into the hotel lobby and approached a man behind a mahogany counter wearing an indigo yukata. She had noticed that the man had given many of the guests food; perhaps she could get some herself to feed to the cat.

"Oh, hello there, Miss! What can I get for you?" the man greeted with a warm smile on his face.

"I would like to procure some cat food," she requested.

The man's brow furrowed as he looked at her perplexedly. Had she requested something strange…?

"Cat food…? Uh, sorry Miss, but I have any cat food…"

Feeling disappointed, Aigis was about give up before her senses rooted her to her place. She could hear a sizzling sound and she smelled spices being mixed and cooked in a tantalizing concoction. Food never appealed to Aigis, what with her being an android, however even she couldn't deny the enticing effects that the food had. She looked beyond the man to see a woman making what appeared to be grilled fish. Aigis watched intently as the woman added some sort of spice before carefully turning the fish onto its other side, revealing the crisp brown meat.

Apparently the man had noticed her staring as he smiled and called to the woman, "Hey, Suki! Why don't you bring a couple of those fish over here?"

The woman turned around, smiled upon seeing Aigis looking at her creation, and brought a plate of completed grilled fish over to the counter.

"Here, this is our famous grilled fish, seasoned with the finest spices that can be grown in Kyoto!" The woman informed her.

Felines enjoyed fish as well, didn't they? At least, according to what she overheard from students that kept them as pets. Nodding to herself, Aigis decided to feed this grilled fish to the cat.

"I will take one, then."

The man's smile grew as the woman began wrapping the fish, "Great! That'll be 1,200 yen, Miss!"

Ah, that's right… She would need currency in order to get the fish. Unfortunately though, Aigis didn't have any money considering Mitsuru-san handled most of her expenses. But then, what of the cat…?

"1,200 yen, you said…?" a voice asked beside her. She looked to her right as Minato-san rustled through his wallet for some yen bills.

"Yes, sir!" The man said happily as he swiped the money away and the woman handed the fish over to Minato-san. "Please come again!"

She saw Minato-san nod curtly to the couple before he began walking away, a look over his shoulder signaling her to follow.

"Here's your fish, Aigis… What did you need it for?" Minato-san said as he handed her the fish and tilted his head curiously.

"I wanted to feed it to Blu-san," Aigis replied before smiling at him, "Thank you for purchasing it for me, Minato-san."

He rubbed the back of his neck as his brow furrowed, "Your welcome, but… Who's Blu-san…?"

Suddenly, a flash of brown could be see bolting towards them before it leaped into Minato-san's arms, clearly startling the cobalt-haired teen.

"Whoa…!" Minato-san exclaimed as the cat twisted itself in his arms, trying to get comfortable.

"That is Blu-san," Aigis clarified with a smile. "He told me that he didn't have a proper name, so we decided that it should be Blu-san."

Minato-san stayed silent as he watched the squirming cat in his arms with interest, tilting his head as he examined Blu-san. Blu-san finally managed to balance himself on Minato-san's forearms as he stretched his body on top of them. He tilted his head to look up at the cobalt-haired teen and purred happily. As she looked back at Minato-san's face, she saw a flash of comprehension before he turned his gaze on her.

"You call him that because of his eyes, right…?" he asked.

"Yes," Aigis nodded, "And Blu-san seems to like you, Minato-san…"  
"You think so…?" Minato-san smirked amusedly, "Well then, we'd better give Blu-san his fish; I wouldn't want him to get mad at me."

"Right!" Aigis smiled and presented the grilled fish to Blu-san. His nose twitched as he caught its scent and he turned his body in Minato-san's arms. As soon as he saw the fish, his eyes widened and he pawed at the fish just a foot away.

"Hold on, Blu…" Minato-san chuckled as he stepped closer to allow Blu-san to reach the food. Blu-san nipped at the fish happily, his eyes slipping close in satisfaction as he purred.

"I'm glad you like it, Blu-san. You should thank Minato-san; he's the one who got the food for you."

Blu-san looked over his shoulder and purred at Minato-san before continuing to eat the food.

"Don't mention it," Minato-san waved away the thanks.

"C'mon Junpei, Fuuka, hurry up!" a voice sounded from upstairs.

She and Minato-san both looked toward the stairs to see Minako-san running down them while pulling Fuuka-san by the arm.

"Wait up, Mina-tan!" Junpei-san called as he followed them with a large backpack.

"Where are you guys going?" Minato-san asked.

"Shopping for supplies, of course!" Minako-san replied as she and Fuuka-san waited for Junpei-san by the door.

"Shopping?!" Minato-san asked, appalled for some reason, "Minako, we were supposed to talk to Toriumi-sensei about that _thing_!"

Aigis watched as Minako-san looked at Minato-san as though there was something wrong with him.

Minako-san laughed, "Yeah, right! Hell would have to freeze over before I would be suckered into _that_! Besides, I'm sure you'll do a _much_ better job than me, Minato-nii! Anyway, gotta go!"

With an innocent smile and a quick wave, Minako-san bolted out of the hotel with Fuuka-san and Junpei-san.

"Minako!" Minato-san yelled after her before sighing and setting Blu-san and the fish on the ground. He groaned, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that she laid this all on me…"

"What did you want to ask Toriumi-sensei about, Minato-san?" she asked curiously.

Minato-san sighed once again, "Well it's about our groups. Some… uh… friends of ours wanted to join in, but they don't go to our school… They were pretty insistent so we told them that we'd asked Toriumi-sensei about it… But it looks like Minako's decide to leave that up to me."

Two new participants…? And they didn't attend Gekkoukan…? It struck Aigis as unusual that two total strangers would be interested in the contest of a high school that they didn't attend, since most of the students didn't seem to _want_ to participate in the first place. Although, if they were friends of Minato-san and Minako-san, then she supposed these newcomers wouldn't pose a threat.

"Anyway, have you seen Toriumi-sensei, Aigis?"

She shook her head, "I haven't seen her since she made the announcement…"

"I see…" Minato-san sighed again, "Well, I'm going to go look for her, so I'll see you later Aigis. Bye, Blu."

Minato-san bent down to scratch Blu-san behind the ears before he began to walk away. However, he came back a few seconds later, seeming to have remembered something.

"Aigis, can you do something for me?" he asked.

Aigis nodded immediately, "Of course, Minato-san."

"I want you to get something from Minako's room, and then I want you and Yukari to meet me on the second floor. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, that's not a problem Minato-san. What did you want me to get?"

He leaned into her before whispering the target's name into her ear. Taking the whisper to mean that it was a secretive matter, Aigis simply nodded before going upstairs toward Minako-san's room. She wasn't sure what Minato-san was planning to do, but she was determined to help him in any way she could. After all, he and the others were important to her.

* * *

"Toriumi, I can't believe you're going through with this!"

Toriumi sighed as she set down her cup of coffee and rubbed her temples. Could a teacher get no peace…?

"Whatever do you mean, Ekoda-san…?" She asked.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean!" Ekoda exclaimed, one of his veins bulging, "How could you put on this ridiculous competition?! This field trip to Kyoto is supposed to show these spoiled delinquents how great our country is, and you're ruining it with this… this… _farce_!"

Don't do it, Toriumi… He's not worth losing your job over… Toriumi repeated this over and over in her head to stop herself from slugging Ekoda. Honestly… Didn't he have anything better to do than criticize her teaching methods? They were already forced to make their field trip a tour of Kyoto because of his incessant demands, and now when she was trying to liven things up, he had to ruin it all. She sighed again; typical Ekoda…

She turned in her chair to face him, her left eyebrow twitching in annoyance, "I was just trying to make things a little more interesting, Ekoda-san… The students have been on their best behavior so far. I think they deserve to have some sort of break as a reward, don't you…?"

Ekoda growled, "Break?! These children have had it easy ever since they came here. Especially, I've noticed, the ones coming from _your_ classroom!"

Much to Toriumi's relief, Ounishi-san spoke up, "Come now, Ekoda-san… Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? Their Culture Festival was cancelled so it wouldn't be a bad idea to give them this little competition."

Ekoda rolled his eyes at the science teacher, "You can't fool me Ounishi; the only reason you're defending this event is because you'll be able to have the students clean your _precious_ science lab for the rest of the year!"

"So what if I am?" Ounishi shot back. "As I recall, there was a certain teacher who failed to report a student's disappearance in order to protect his career. Although I don't know all the details, I heard that he barely managed to survive by the skin of his teeth…"

As soon as the words left Ounishi-san's mouth, Toriumi saw Gekkoukan's resident S.O.B. cringe, clearly at some sort of traumatic memory. Damn… Toriumi had to give Ounishi-san some credit; she could be pretty brutal when she wanted to be.

Ekoda grunted angrily, "Fine! Do what you want! But I'll be sure to report this to the principal when we return!"

Ekoda stormed off, grumbling words to himself that were filled with malice. Well, this was just _great_… The last thing she needed was Ekoda throwing a hissy fit to the principal when she was just trying to have some fun…

"Oh, don't worry about him, Toriumi-san…" Ounishi-san told her with a smug smirk. "He won't say anything to the principal; I have plenty more where that came from…"

With that ominous statement, Ounishi-san left down the hallway that Ekoda had travelled, and Toriumi could have sworn she heard an unsettling snicker… She tried to shake off the shiver that crawled up her spine as she took another sip of her coffee. Well… at least she wouldn't have to worry about that S.O.B. for a while. She chuckled to herself, remembering the last time she told someone about her little nickname for Ekoda. …Tatsuya… It had been a long time since she had last spoken to him… It was a shame that the MMO that they used to communicate was shut down… So much has changed since he helped renew her love of teaching and turned her entire life around… She hoped that one day… she would be able to thank him for all he's done… She smiled at the thought of being able to finally meet him face-to-face…

"Excuse me, Toriumi-sensei…?"

A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts, "Ah!"

She whipped her head around in shock, before relaxing at seeing the cool face of her favorite student.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Arisato-kun apologized with a slight bow, "I just wanted to talk to you about something…"

Placing a hand over her heart, Toriumi calmed her breathing, "Oh… That's alright… What is it, Arisato-kun?"

"Well, Minako and I were wondering if we could invite some friends of ours to join in the Test of Courage," he began. "But they aren't actually students…"

Friends of the twins who wanted to join the competition…? And they didn't go to Gekkoukan…? Why would _they_ want to participate when many of Gekkoukan's actual students had to be '_persuaded' _by her and Ounishi-san's terms…? "And why is that, Arisato-kun?"

"Our friends don't really get out too often, so they don't really get a chance to do things like this…" Arisato-kun clarified. "They're pretty excited about it…"

Toriumi folded her arms as she contemplated the request. She was reluctant to allow two complete strangers into the competition; after all, if something happened, she would be held responsible…

As if he could read her mind, Arisato-kun continued, "There's no need to worry about them, though. Minako and I will keep an eye on them and I doubt they'll cause any trouble…"

"Yes, we won't cause any trouble, Toriumi-sensei," a voice called from behind Arisato-kun.

She looked past the cobalt-haired teen's shoulder to see one of the strangest looking women she had ever seen in her life. She wore a long velvet dress with five black and yellow circles running along the front. Her head was adorned with a small attendant's hat and she was clad in knee high boots. In her left hand, she clutched a large book to her chest protectively. She had short white hair and shining golden eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. Toriumi could feel the unearthly aura surrounding the woman; whoever she was, she was_ not_ normal.

"Wh-Who are you?" she stuttered, despite herself.

"Elizabeth?! What are you doing here?!" Arisato-kun asked, shocked. So her name was Elizabeth…? Even her name was unusual…

"Looking for you of course, Master Minato," this _Elizabeth_ replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I thought Minako and I told you and Theo to stay at the… uh…office… until we talked to Toriumi-sensei," he folded his arms. Huh…? Who's Theo…?

"Yes, you did. However, Theo was becoming rather impatient so we decided it would be better if we joined you," Elizabeth explained.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" she heard Arisato-kun mutter as he ran a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath before turning to face her, gesturing to Elizabeth, "Toriumi-sensei, this is Elizabeth. She's one of people I was talking about…"

She gathered as much from the two's conversation, "Hello, Elizabeth-san. It's nice to meet you. Now, about the competition… May I ask why you want to participate…?"

Elizabeth-san smiled cheerfully, "I've heard so much about this ritual that I wanted to participate in it myself! To experience the fear that causes one to lose all of their courage and control over one's body as a heart-pounding terror grips them…! Oh, how exhilarating! I was looking forward to observing this activity to better understand your world…"

What? _'Your world'_…?

"W-What Elizabeth means is that she's never attended an actual school before… She and her brother Theo were homeschooled by their… uncle…" Arisato-kun quickly explained.

"And it is our duty to attend to Master Minato and Master Minako, so it would only be appropriate to join their groups," Elizabeth-san said proudly.

Toriumi gave her a perplexed look; attend to '_Master_' Minato and '_Master_' Minako…?

Arisato-kun cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him, "That's because it's all a part of Elizabeth's and Theo's internships…"

"Internships…?" Toriumi queried, tilting her head in confusion.

"Yes, internships…" the cobalt-haired teen continued, "They want to get into social services so they became interns for our social worker. So checking in on us and helping us is part of their job…"

"Ah, I see," Toriumi nodded.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but we would really appreciate it if you would allow them to join… There won't be any problems, I promise," Arisato-kun said, giving her a small, disarming smile.

Toriumi sighed, "Well then, if they're that enthusiastic and since it is a part of their internship, I suppose it'd be alright then…"

"Thank you very much, Toriumi-sensei," Arisato-kun bowed.

"Yes, thank you," Elizabeth-san bowed as well, "I can see why so many young humans come to learn at these schools; human teachers are much more flexible and understanding than my master…"

What…? '_Human'_…?

Arisato-kun quickly grabbed Elizabeth-san's arm before briskly pulling the woman away, "Well then Elizabeth, we'd better get going… Lots of things to do before the competition… Have a nice day, Sensei…"

Shrugging off the woman's odd comment, Toriumi turned back and took another sip of her coffee. In retrospect, she probably should have inquired more about the two newcomers, but there was just something about Arisato-kun that made her feel like she could trust him... Perhaps it was because he sounded very similar to her online confidante and lover, Tatsuya… And of course, the slight crush she had on him didn't hurt either… She blushed at her personal admittance to her attraction… A-Anyway…! If Arisato-kun said that there wouldn't be any problems, then she was willing to believe him.

"And besides," Toriumi said to herself, "It would be nice to have _someone_ who likes my idea!"

* * *

"It should be right at the end of this street…"

"Isn't that it…?" Akihiko asked as he pointed a small shop at the street corner.

"Hm… I think so… Let's go inside, Akihiko-kun," his companion remarked, walking toward the door.

"Sure, Noboru-san," he replied.

His companion chuckled softly before looking back at him from over her shoulder, "I've told you before, Akihiko-kun; you can call me Leiko. We _have_ known each for two years…"

The girl Akihiko was currently travelling with was named Noboru Leiko. She was a senior like him with long, wavy black hair and deep violet eyes. She was fairly slim and toned, being an athlete like him. She was wearing the standard Gekkoukan uniform with the exception of a black cardigan over her blouse. She had been one of the first people he'd met when he transferred to Gekkoukan and joined SEES with Mitsuru and Shinji. She was kind to him back then, even opting to spend her time showing him around the school and informing him of the inner workings of Gekkoukan such as its impressive rumor mill and eccentric faculty. However, despite her kindness to him and knowing her for two years, he didn't call her by her first name, since they weren't really _close _friends like he was with Mitsuru or Shinji.

"Uh, yeah… We have, haven't we…?" Akihiko scratched the back of his head. "So… have you been here before?"

"No, but I heard about this place from some locals; they supposedly sell things that'll help us in the competition," she replied, opening the door. "So it might be worth our while to take a look."

As he followed her in, he felt his jaw fall open at the store's appearance. Its walls were splashed with black and dark violet. The walls were lined with masks that were more than a little disconcerting, what with the many fangs, tentacles, and convincing blood splatters on them. There were many aisles running down the length of the store, some of them filled with costumes of various fiends and beasts, whiles others were stocked with ornately decorated weaponry. Frankly, to Akihiko it looked like a store that he and the others would stumble upon during their explorations inside Tartarus.

"Welcome…" a man told them with a mysterious smirk from behind the counter across the store. The man was just as unsettling as the store. He was wearing a long black trench coat over black jeans and a black t-shirt. His auburn hair was pulled back into a long pony tail and his eyes were concealed by a bulky pair of sunglasses that covered nearly half of his face. He was also carrying a large scythe whose blade glistened under the florescent lights overhead.

Akihiko immediately felt unnerved by the man as he had an aura that the boxer had never felt before. It seemed powerful and so… unearthly… Even behind the dark glasses, Akihiko felt as if the man could see straight into his soul. The feeling turned him into a statue, stiff and uncomfortable.

Although, he appeared to be the only one who noticed as Noboru-san quickly stepped forward and offered the man a slight bow, "We just wanted to take a look around your store, sir; please don't mind us."

The man nodded, his gaze still fixated on the boxer and the enigmatic smirk never leaving his face, "Go take a look around…" He gestured with his scythe towards the aisles of the store.

"Thank you," Noboru-san took the lead as she walked down the second aisle. Akihiko quickly followed, wanting to escape from the eye lock with the strange man. Putting the man out of his head he looked at the merchandise on the shelves. This particular aisle housed many different supplies for adding flare to pranks of the horror variety. There was fake blood, large spiders, and CDs for an array of disturbing music and sound effects. Akihiko was currently looking at the tracks of a CD comprised of various kinds of horror screams. There were ones for male teenagers, sorority girls, small children and the like.

"Hey, how about we get this CD…?" Akihiko suggested to Noboru-san who was comparing two different brands of fake blood.

She looked at him from over her shoulder and smiled warmly, "Sure. It looks useful. Nice job, Akihiko-kun…"  
He simply nodded before placing the CD into their basket, whose handles were modeled after bones.

Frankly, he didn't know what to look for in this store. He wasn't really one for scaring people and during the few times when it was necessary, he really just intimidated them with a dark scowl and piercing glare that he had invented from watching Shinji. On the other hand, he didn't get scared easily either, so he supposed it all balanced out. Hopefully Mitsuru, Mochizuki, and Noboru-san were more adept at this whole scaring thing than him…

"Here, let's choose this one," Noboru-san said, placing her decision into the basket, "It may not be as red as I'd like, but it's much more fluid than the other one."

"You sure know a lot about this, Noboru-san…" Akihiko commented.

"As far as horror goes, not really, but I do know about blood. I _am_ an athlete, remember? So I've gotten pretty acquainted with it," she chuckled.

"Yeah, that's true…" Akihiko nodded, remembering some of the injuries he's sustained while fighting for the boxing club and SEES.

"Master Minako, which of these do you prefer…?" Akihiko heard a male voice toward the back of the store.

'_Master Minako_'…? What the hell…?

Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Akihiko walked to the end of the aisle and peered across the store. His eyes widened as they rested on the form of his auburn-haired leader.

Huh…? Minako was here, too…? …Well, he supposed it made sense; she probably came here to prepare for the competition like him and Noboru-san. Although that explained why she was here, it didn't answer the question that was really troubling him at the moment.

Who the hell was that guy talking to her?!

He wore a velvet suit that reminded him of an elevator attendant's uniform. On his head laid small hat and his hands, covered by immaculate white gloves, were holding two different masks. He was a tall man with silver hair, similar to Akihiko's, but his eyes were a bright golden, which shone with strong warmth as he looked at Minako. He had to admit, the guy wasn't _horribly_ hideous… Narrowing his eyes in annoyance and for further analysis, Akihiko quickly sensed the strength coming from the strange man, possibly rivaling his own. As he noticed Minako starting to reply, he strained his ears to listen.

"Hmm… I don't know…" Minako pondered, folding her arms and looking between the two masks. "They're not bad, but I think we can do better than some cheesy masks…"

Akihiko watched as the man bowed, smiling warmly at the auburn-haired girl, "As you wish, Master Minako… What else did you have in mind…?"

"Hmm… Let me take another look around…" Minako replied walking back into the aisle.

Again… Who the hell was that guy talking to her?! Akihiko had never seen this guy before in his life, yet he seemed pretty close to Minako. And for some reason, he was a lot more bothered by it then he thought he should… Well, it was natural wasn't it…? He was her senpai, after all, so it's his responsibility to look out for Minako… Yeah, that's it…!

Nodding to himself, Akihiko quietly stalked past two aisles, intending to watch the pair from behind a corner. Just a little further and he would have the perfect hiding place…

"Hey, Akihiko-senpai! What're you doing here, man?" Junpei called out to him loudly, waving at him as he jogged down the aisle to meet him.

Dammit! He was spotted…!

Akihiko waved his hands in front him and brought an index finger to his lips, signaling the capped teen to be quiet.

Unfortunately, Junpei didn't pick up on it quick enough, "Huh? What's wrong, Senpai?

Apparently, the others had heard Junpei as the sound of footsteps approached them. Akihiko sighed as he face-palmed. Just once, he'd like if Junpei _didn't_ act like a complete idiot.

"Oh Akihiko-senpai, I didn't expect to see you here…" Fuuka said as she joined them from another aisle.

"Uh… Hey, Fuuka…" Akihiko scratched the back of his head awkwardly,

"Hey Senpai!" Minako smiled warmly at him as she approached, followed closely by _that guy_… "What are you doing here?"

"Uh… Well… Y-You see…" Akihiko stammered as he tried to find an excuse that _wouldn't_ make him look like a creep who spied on Minako and her friends. He began to sweat once he felt the inquisitive stares of his three underclassmen and the mysterious stranger bore into him.

"Oh, there you are, Akihiko-kun. Hm…? What's going on…?" he heard behind him as Noboru-san joined them as well. Her presence reminded him of the reason he came here in the first place. At least, before he saw _that guy_.

Akihiko's shoulders relaxed in relief as he answered Minako's question, "Me and Noboru-san were buying some stuff for the competition. We heard about this place and decided to check it out…"

Akihiko nodded contentedly to himself. That was a perfectly reasonable explanation, right…?

"Oh really? We came to do the same thing," Fuuka replied with a smile.

"Well I'd say it's pretty convenient that we all found such a good store on such short notice," Noboru-san smiled cordially to the junior.

"Yeah…" Akihiko agreed absentmindedly, his mind focused on the mysterious man who still hadn't said a word…

Evidently, Minako had noticed his staring as she quickly introduced the man to him, "Oh that's right, you two haven't met before, have you…? Theo, this is Sanada Akihiko, my senpai. Akihiko-senpai, this is Theo, a friend of mine and Minato-nii's."

'Theo'…? That was an odd name…

The velvet-clad man bowed deeply to him, "A pleasure to meet you, Sanada-san. Master Minako has told me much about you and the rest of her friends."

There he goes with that _'Master Minako'_ stuff again… Just what the hell was that supposed to mean, anyway?! Also, why was it that Minako had told this _Theo_ guy about him, but she had never mentioned this_ Theo_ to him before?

Wait a minute… Why was this bothering him so much...? After all, Akihiko knew that Minako had plenty of friends that he had never met before. Why was this guy any different? …He wasn't, Akihiko convinced himself. Forcing down his suspicion and wiping the scrutinizing look off his face, Akihiko gave a slight bow back, "Yeah… Nice to meet you too, Theo…"

"Well, since we're doing introductions, I'm Iori Junpei!" Junpei introduced himself to Noboru-san with a beaming, yet flirtatious smile on his face.

Akihiko shook his head in disbelief; Junpei's going to try to pick up Noboru-san, isn't he…?

Noboru-san seemed to handle it well enough as she nodded at the junior, "It's nice to meet you, Iori."

Junpei, clearly encouraged by the fact that he wasn't rejected on the spot, continued, "The pleasure is all mine, Leiko-senpai!"

Akihiko sweat-dropped; since when had she become _'Leiko-senpai'_? As far as he knew, this was the first time the raven-haired senior and the capped teen had ever met. …Well, Akihiko had to give Junpei some credit: he didn't waste any time.

As he and the others watched Junpei pull out some more cheesy lines, Theo suddenly looked as if he had a revelation, "Master Minako, is this the ritual that is referred to as _'picking up chicks'_?!"

"Seriously, Junpei?" Minako scoffed. "Yukari was right: you'll hit on almost any girl..."

Junpei looked as if the auburn-haired girl had slapped him, "What?! That hurts, Mina-tan! I was just trying to be friendly!"

Minako rolled her eyes, a knowing smirk on her face, "Funny how whenever you see a girl, _that's_ when you get social…"

Junpei shrugged innocently, "I have no idea what you're talking about Mina-tan…"

"I believe what Master Minako is saying is that you do not discriminate very much with the women you are attracted to Junpei-san," Theo elaborated, causing Minako and Fuuka to giggle.

"What the-! Hey man, what're you trying to do, make me look bad?!" Junepi yelled angrily at the attendant.

"Hm…? Why of course not, Junpei-san… I meant it as a compliment. Being able to care for such a wide variety of women must mean that you are a very accepting person indeed," Theo smiled kindly.

After hearing Theo's analysis of his personality, Junpei immediately brightened, "Oh yeah! You've got me pegged! I gotta say, you're a good judge of character, Theo!"

Akihiko looked at the attendant incredulously. Seriously, what was up with this Theo guy?!

"Well, I guess that's one way to put it, Theo," Minako chuckled. "But I think there's a more… hormonal reason to it…"

"Oh? Is that so? Well then, I retract my observation," Theo replied, causing Junpei to groan and the auburn-haired girl to laugh once more.

Akihiko's left eye twitched in annoyance. He wanted to amend his earlier question… What was up with this Theo guy and Minako?!

"So Theo, what are you doing here…?" Akihiko asked as he folded his arms.

"The same as Master Minako and the others: looking for materials that will help us win the contest."

Wait… _'Us'_…?

"Theo-san's decided to join our group. He's never done anything like this before so he was pretty interested," Fuuka informed.

What?! He's a part of _Minako's_ group?!

"Yes, it seems like it would be quite the enjoyable experience, especially since I will be able to spend it with Master Minako," Theo said happily, gazing warmly at the auburn-haired girl again. "I always look forward to the times when she and I go out together."

Akihiko's eyes widened as his heart filled with dread and quickly sank under the weight held in that statement. _'Go out together…?'_ Does that mean that this guy is…?

Noboru-san picked up on this as well and asked with a mild bit of surprise, "Oh? Does that mean that you two are going out?"

"What?!" Minako almost choked on her own breath. "N-No, it's nothing like that! Theo and I are just friends, Noboru-senpai. It's just he isn't from around here so whenever he visits me and Minato-nii, we show him around, that's all…"

Akihiko sighed, releasing the breath that he didn't even know he was holding. So this Theo guy wasn't Minako's boyfriend…

Akihiko shook his head as he began questioning himself. Why did he feel so relieved by that…? Why did he feel like Minako dating this guy would be such a bad thing…? He couldn't really say that this _Theo_ was a bad guy. Hell, he hardly knew him… But on the other hand, he couldn't really say that this Theo _wasn't_ a bad guy… Maybe these feelings he's having are his instincts trying to warn him about this guy…

Akihiko nodded to himself; that must be it. There was something off about this guy… Junpei and Fuuka didn't seem to notice, but he could feel it… If that was the case, it looks it's up to him to keep an eye on this guy. He already protected Minako from Mochizuki and if this _Theo_ was going to try something on her, then he'd protect her from him, too.

Akihiko's thoughts were interrupted as he felt Junpei slap him on the back and laugh, "You hear that, Senpai? Looks like you've still got a shot!"

His eyes widened as he turned red at the junior's implications, "W-What're talking about Junpei?!"

Minako quickly joined in, a blush gracing her features as well, "Will you knock that off?! It's not funny!"

Junpei wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled suggestively, "Hehehe… Who said I was joking…?"

Wha-?! Junpei really needed to stop with his stupid jokes… Akihiko, who's not really good at handling embarrassment, reared his left fist back, stepped forward with his right foot, and gave the idiot a powerful punch to his right cheek. It took him a moment to realize that Minako had balanced herself on her left foot beside him and kicked Junpei beneath his jaw with her right. The sheer force of the combined attacks lifted Junpei off his feet and sent him flying at least two meters back.

"Ow! Augh…" Junpei groaned as he sat up and rubbed his face soothingly, "Hey, hey, hey! Watch the face, will ya! What'll my fans do if you mess up this beauty?!"

Minako folded her arms and huffed, "Cheer would be my guess… C'mon Fuuka and Theo, let's ditch him. See you later Akihiko-senpai, Noboru-senpai…"

Minako turned and walked briskly away to the check-out counter, followed by a tentative Fuuka and an indifferent Theo.

"Hey, wait! C'mon Mina-tan, you shouldn't be so sensitive! I was only kidding!" Junpei called to the others as he quickly ran after them. "See ya Senpai!"

Akihiko shook his head and sighed; Junpei was such an idiot sometimes… Actually, scratch that, he was an idiot _most_ of the time, but even more so now. He and Minako weren't like that at all… They were just friends…

Right…?

"C'mon Akihiko-kun... Don't forget; we still have to find some supplies for our group," Noboru-san reminded him.

"Huh…? Oh yeah, you're right…" Akihiko replied, pushing his thoughts about him and Minako out of his head.

* * *

"Hmm… Now where was I…?" Mitsuru muttered as she sank into one of the lounge chairs in the lobby, opening a book as she found the chapter she had yet to start. Since Akihiko had gone with Noboru to shop for supplies and Mochizuki was nowhere to be seen, she decided to take the time to rest for a bit. After all once the competition started, she wouldn't have a moment's reprieve… Sipping a cup of her favorite brand of tea, she began reading the eighth chapter of her novel…

It must have been at least an hour before Mitsuru set her book down in order to make herself another cup. She walked over to the food store in the lobby and purchased another pot. She thanked him before walking back and settling into her seat. She had managed to reach the last chapter of her book and she was excited to find out what happens to-…

"AAAHHHHH!" Mitsuru heard a bloodcurdling scream pierce the air. Her head snapped up; it seemed to be coming from the second floor. Fearing the worst, Mitsuru bolted up the stairs and down the hallway on the right. Once she reached the last bedroom, she threw the sliding door open, her eyes darting around the room for the cause of the trouble.

"Hey, calm down Yukari! It's just a movie!"

"TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF!" Yukari shrieked.

She watched as Arisato sighed and grabbed a black remote on the floor, apparently pausing whatever show was playing.

What was going on in here…?

Apparently, Aigis was the first one to notice her presence as she turned to look at her, "Oh, hello Mitsuru-san."

The greeting prompted everyone else in the room to turn towards her. They were all sitting on cushions on the floor in front of a modest television set provided by the hotel. Aigis was sitting closest to the door, her arms wrapped around her knees as she slouched over them. Sitting next to her was Arisato, who had already changed into the hotel's indigo yukata, looking at her in mild surprise while wincing a bit from the harsh grip of a certain brunette. Yukari, clad in yukata as well, was currently clinging to the cobalt-haired teen's left arm, no doubt clasping it with enough force to leave an imprint. Although her entrance distracted the brunette somewhat, Mitsuru noted somewhat irritably that Yukari was still trembling and curling up to Arisato. Finally, her eyes fell onto a woman that Mitsuru didn't recognize, who was wearing a velvet attendant's ensemble. Her golden eyes moved from amusedly watching Arisato and Yukari, to looking quizzically at her.

"Mitsuru-senpai? Why are you here?" Arisato asked her.

She answered his question with one her own, "What is going on here, Arisato? I heard screaming coming from here."

"We are watching a movie. The scream came from Yukari-san," Aigis explained.

"Wha-! Aigis! You didn't need to tell her that!" Yukari blushed, ashamed.

"Why not? It is the truth, after all," the newcomer replied smiling.

The woman giggled as Yukari groaned and buried her face into the sleeve of Arisato's yukata.

"Don't worry about it, Yukari; it's nothing to be ashamed of," Arisato assured. "But yeah, we were watching a horror movie together. I thought it couldn't hurt to use some exposure therapy to prepare for the competition…"

Well, she supposed that made sense. With Yukari on his team, the male SEES leader would have to help the brunette build up some sort of tolerance; otherwise she'd frankly be a prime target for everyone else.

Although, if the scream that nearly shattered glass and the fact that Yukari was _still_ trembling was any indication, his plan wasn't going very well.

"Yukari, it's just a movie," Arisato repeated soothingly to the brunette. "Nothing in it _or_ during the competition can hurt you."

"How interesting… It seems that some humans are negatively affected by these... _horror movies_… Yet films are designed to attract more and more people to see them… Master Minato, if these films elicit such a reaction from Yukari-san and others, yet they watch them anyway, does that mean that Yukari-san and said others are some sort of masochists?" The velvet-clad woman asked, tilting her head curiously.

Mitsuru nearly choked on her breath at the woman's question. She thought that calling horror fans '_masochists_' was going a bit far…

Apparently, the woman's theory hadn't set well with Yukari either as she quickly sprang up from her position at Arisato's side, "What?! I'm not a masochist!"

The woman arched a silver eyebrow, "Oh? But you watched this film for a fair amount of time, even though it caused you great fear and distressed…"

"Wha-?! I-I wasn't scared! I'm perfectly fine with watching this movie," Yukari huffed as she folded her arms.

The woman eyebrow rose again, this time in skepticism.

"Fine! Here, I'll prove it!" Yukari accepted the unspoken challenge as she returned to her seat next to Arisato. "Minato-kun, go ahead and press play!"

"Uh… You don't have to force yourself to finish it, Yukari… We can take a break if you need it…" Mitsuru could see the slightest bit of concern make its way to the teen's usually indifferent countenance.

"Don't worry, Minato-kun, I'm fine!" Yukari assured, a fire burning in her eyes with the determination to prove the strange woman wrong. "Go ahead and play it!"

"Well, I suppose that's that then," the woman commented amusedly. "Would you care to join us, um…?

She supposed it was only polite to introduce herself before inquiring about this newcomer's identity.

She gave a slight bow, "Kirijo Mitsuru. And you are…?"

"My name is Elizabeth. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mitsuru-san."

She nodded her head in affirmation before casting a look at Arisato, silently asking for more information.

"Elizabeth is a friend me and Minako. She works as an assistant to our social worker, along with her brother Theo. They were homeschooled so they didn't have a chance to participate in any school activities. That's why they're going to join our groups so they can be a part of the Test of Courage. Don't worry; I already talked it over with Toriumi-sensei and she said it was fine." Arisato quickly explained.

Well, if it wasn't a problem with Toriumi-sensei, then she supposed it wasn't a problem with her. The woman was odd, that was for sure, but it was probably due to her sheltered upbringing. Mitsuru nodded to herself; she could certainly relate to that…

"But Elizabeth's right," Arisato said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "You're welcome to join us, Mitsuru-senpai. We're only about thirty minutes in, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to catch up."

The offer was tempting, especially once he gave her the small, yet kind smile that evoked that unusual warmth in her heart whenever she saw it. The acceptance to his invitation was on the tip of her tongue, but…

"AAAHHHHH! Stay away from me!" She heard off to the side. While they were talking, Aigis had found the television remote and turned the movie back on. A girl who must have been around their age was running through the woods, away from… something…

"Please, somebody help me!" the girl cried hysterically as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. As she was running, she tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground with a pained grunt and a loud thud. The horrifying music swelled as the TV showed a shot of the girl turning around to look at her pursuer. As the assailant stalked closer, the shadow that he cast over the girl consumed her in darkness, leaving only the terrified expression on her face. Mitsuru found her eyes widening in synchrony with the girl's as her hand began to tremble. The music was overbearing as its malicious melody pounded through her ears. Even her breathing became somewhat uneven as she looked on.

_Get ahold of yourself!_ Came her persona's forceful rebuke, snapping her out of her trance. She clenched her hands into fists, ordering them to cease their shaking. She breathed deeply as she counted in her head, trying desperately to get her breathing under control. The last thing she wanted was to act like some frightened child in front of her underclassmen and a complete stranger.

Shutting out the movie as best she could, she turned away and replied rather coldly, "I'd rather not."

Not wishing to stay any longer, she quickly left the room, sliding the door shut behind her. As she walked down the hall, she breathed a sigh of relief as the movie's audio gradually became imperceptible. Although Mitsuru conquered many frightening things throughout her life, horror movies hadn't been one of them. No one had made a movie about Tartarus and Shadows, after all… And although that bit that Iori put on months ago, "Junpei's Believe It or Don't" was eerie, she was hardly as perturbed as Yukari was. She didn't know why scary stories were less effective on her than horror movies, but she reasoned that she wasn't afraid of things that she couldn't see. Regardless, one thing she was certain of was that she didn't want Arisato and the others to know of her fears... Unfortunately, this competition made that feat much more difficult… She clenched her fists in determination. If that was the case then she would just have to take a page from Akihiko and begin preparing herself for what was to come.

Fortunately for her, making preparations was one of the things Mitsuru did best.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for chapter two. I hope this chapter managed to spark your interest in this story again. I promise the third chapter won't take me nearly as long as this one did. Considering it's almost summer, I should have a lot more free time to work with. Also, I'm sorry if there are a lot of errors in this chapter. I did read over this myself, but I usually send my chapters over to my friend/beta to check for anything that I missed. Unfortunately, she doesn't have her computer right now so I couldn't send it to her this time. Hopefully, there weren't too many problems. Anyway, tell me any of your thoughts on this chapter. I really like to hear what you like and don't like so that I can improve this as best I can. Well, until chapter three, this is Lady Sinistra signing off.


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